A history of violence : living and dying in Central America / Óscar Martínez ; translated by John B. Washington and Daniela Ugaz ; foreword by Jon Lee Anderson.

Format:

• Book

Author/Creator:

• Martínez, Óscar (Óscar Enrique), author.

Contributor:

• Washington, John (Translator), translator.
• Ugaz, Daniela Maria, translator.
• Anderson, Jon Lee, writer of foreword.

Language:

• English
• Spanish

Subjects (All):

• Violence--Central America.
• Drug traffic--Central America.
• Crime--Central America.
• Crime.
• Drug traffic.
• Violence.
• Central America--Social conditions--1979-.
• Central America.
• Social conditions.

Physical Description:

xxi, 257 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations, map ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Verso, 2016.

Summary:

"Heartbreaking immersion into the lives of people enduring extreme violence in Central America El Salvador and Honduras have had the highest homicide rates in the world over the past ten years. Oscar Martinez, author of The Beast, which was named one of the best books of the year by the Economist and the Financial Times, shares a beautiful and immersive account of life in one of the most violent places on earth. Martinez travels to Nicaraguan fishing towns, southern Mexican brothels where Central American women are trafficked, isolated Guatemalan jungle villages and crime-ridden Salvadoran slums. With his precise and empathetic reporting, he reveals the underbelly of some of the most dangerous places in the world, going undercover to drink with narcos, accompanying police patrols, riding in trafficking boats and hiding out with a gang informer. The result is an unforgettable portrait of a region of fear, helping to explain why migrants have been fleeing the area by the millions"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

• Emptiness. The State against Chepe Furia ; The lords of the border ; Guatemala is spelled with a Z ; A nobody in the land of narcos ; Narco : made in Central America
• Madness. Our bottomless well ; The most miserable of traitors ; El Niño Hollywood's death foretold ; The Massacre of Salcajá ; Men who pull out nails
• Fleeing. The tamed coyotes ; Men who sell women ; The prayers of El Salvador's Anti-gang Police Unit ; The unfortunate story of an undocumented am who was sold, extorted, and departed.

Notes:

• Translated from the Spanish.
• "This book is based on a series of articles Oscar Martínez wrote for the Latin American news website elfaro.net and published under the rubric 'Sala Negra.' "

ISBN:

• 9781784781682
• 1784781681

OCLC:

936255591